League Cup Semi-Final
I wandered out yesterday evening in search of some sustenance and found myself hunting around Summertown for a place to have a decent meal. I decided on the Dew Drop Inn which looked like a homely enough pub, and I do have a fondness for pub food. As I took a seat, I remembered that it was the evening of the Carling Cup Semi-Final between my favourite club Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers, and kick-off was due just a couple of minutes from the time I walked in. Never one to refuse a precipitous coincidence when it appears, I settled down for the match.
All in all it was a good game, if a bit scrappy, a torn up Old Trafford pitch not helping things a great deal. The team went in at half time having scored a goal apiece, both goals being a mixture of bad luck and poor defending. Overall, United had by far the better of the play and were unlucky to go in with things level on aggregate; they will be particularly kicking themselves for not putting away a penalty at the stroke of half time, Brad Friedel saving brilliantly from Ruud Van Nistelrooy. After the break it was more frustration as Friedel continued his heroics, saving a Van Nistelrooy bullet header. He was beaten though by a literal slice of good fortune, Louis Saha slicing the ball into the top left hand corner of the net after it had come off his shin rather than his foot from a Fletcher cross. In the end, United held on comfortably for the win and Vidic, the new central defender even got to make his debut as a substitute.
It is a measure of how resigned United are in losing the league title that this match had taken on the significance that it did. This was personified by the relief of the United players at the end of the match, and also by Van Nistelrooy's anguish at his penalty miss. In the past, United had treated the Carling Cup as a bit part tournament crowding the fixture list representing a fine chance for United to blood promising youngsters into the professional game. Now, it is a ticket to Cardiff and a trophy, and thus given far far more weight.
United go into the final as firm favourites to win their first league cup since 1992. Though this competition has never been particularly kind to United, they are expected to come out victorious against a Wigan team that is in their first major final. Still, Wigan cannot be underestimated, particularly after their shock win over Arsenal - they have a team that is rock solid and further to that has a never say die attitude and will not be overawed in the least against United on cup final day. Their strides in the Premiereship this season are testament enough to that. United on the other hand face a serious crisis in midfield, with Ryan Giggs limping off after just 15 minutes of this match with a strained hamstring, adding to the long list of woes he has in that department. He faces a battle to be fit for Cardiff. Alan Smith, the converted striker faces a battle to regain full fitness now to bolster a decidely inexperienced midfield. United also looked far from solid defensively, and will need to work on that particularly against Wigan, where Jason Roberts in particularly likely to punish any mistakes.
So a nice evening of football, with full anticipation for a great cup final day to come.
All in all it was a good game, if a bit scrappy, a torn up Old Trafford pitch not helping things a great deal. The team went in at half time having scored a goal apiece, both goals being a mixture of bad luck and poor defending. Overall, United had by far the better of the play and were unlucky to go in with things level on aggregate; they will be particularly kicking themselves for not putting away a penalty at the stroke of half time, Brad Friedel saving brilliantly from Ruud Van Nistelrooy. After the break it was more frustration as Friedel continued his heroics, saving a Van Nistelrooy bullet header. He was beaten though by a literal slice of good fortune, Louis Saha slicing the ball into the top left hand corner of the net after it had come off his shin rather than his foot from a Fletcher cross. In the end, United held on comfortably for the win and Vidic, the new central defender even got to make his debut as a substitute.
It is a measure of how resigned United are in losing the league title that this match had taken on the significance that it did. This was personified by the relief of the United players at the end of the match, and also by Van Nistelrooy's anguish at his penalty miss. In the past, United had treated the Carling Cup as a bit part tournament crowding the fixture list representing a fine chance for United to blood promising youngsters into the professional game. Now, it is a ticket to Cardiff and a trophy, and thus given far far more weight.
United go into the final as firm favourites to win their first league cup since 1992. Though this competition has never been particularly kind to United, they are expected to come out victorious against a Wigan team that is in their first major final. Still, Wigan cannot be underestimated, particularly after their shock win over Arsenal - they have a team that is rock solid and further to that has a never say die attitude and will not be overawed in the least against United on cup final day. Their strides in the Premiereship this season are testament enough to that. United on the other hand face a serious crisis in midfield, with Ryan Giggs limping off after just 15 minutes of this match with a strained hamstring, adding to the long list of woes he has in that department. He faces a battle to be fit for Cardiff. Alan Smith, the converted striker faces a battle to regain full fitness now to bolster a decidely inexperienced midfield. United also looked far from solid defensively, and will need to work on that particularly against Wigan, where Jason Roberts in particularly likely to punish any mistakes.
So a nice evening of football, with full anticipation for a great cup final day to come.
posted by Caleb Liu | 3:02 PM
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